Essentia Health team brings medical care to Honduras

In January, a team of Essentia Health caregivers traveled to Comayagua, Honduras, to provide much-needed medical services to folks who otherwise don’t have access to health care.

One member of the team, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michael Torchia, was making his eighth such trip to the area.

“There’s a huge need and it brings you back to the whole reason you went into medicine in the first place,” said Dr. Torchia. “There’s a sense of pure health care when you’re helping people in need without getting insurance involved. The patients are so grateful and it’s really rewarding to provide this type of care to these underserved communities.”

Maura Chernov, a registered nurse at Essentia, agreed.

“The patients we cared for received their surgeries at no cost because they would not have been able to pay for medical care,” said Chernov. “Health care at public hospitals in Honduras is very limited. The surgeries will give these patients hope for their future and improve their quality of life.”

All told, the team completed about 25 surgeries in five days. They also performed several injections, consults and rehab assignments. Even though they were in Honduras for a short period of time, there is a permanent physician in the area who can provide a continuum of care for follow-ups, recovery and rehab.

“The highlight of the trip was seeing how grateful these patients were for the care they received,” added Dr. Torchia. “I always come back from these trips with a renewed sense of purpose in medicine and a deeper gratitude for what we have here at Essentia.”

In addition to Dr. Torchia and Chernov, other representatives from Essentia included Dr. Lee Stokes, an anesthesiologist; Dr. Phillip Thomas, an orthopedic surgeon; and Joni Kearns, a surgical assistant. They provided care for patients at San Benito Jose Medical Center.

“The people we care for are among the sickest of the sick and have very serious problems,” said Dr. Torchia. “We are helping patients who need it the most and we are helping people who are in stark poverty and have an incredible amount of health care neglect.”

Funding for medication and other supplies, as well as the transportation of those supplies to Comayagua, came from the Essentia Health Foundation and our surgical services and pharmacy departments.

The outreach is hosted by a group called Aloha Medical Mission, which organizes an annual trip to San Benito Jose Medical Center to perform a variety of surgeries.